Spurs Nation

That isn't a threat. It's simply reality for a player less than a month from turning 34 and on the back nine of his career.

With Leonard held out of Sunday's 106-99 preseason loss to Phoenix at the AT&T Center, to be preserved for Monday's exhibition in Denver, Maggette was offered a prime chance to state his case against the Suns.

He responded with a mixed bag that included 10 points but only one field goal, two turnovers and six fouls that sent him to the bench with 3:02 remaining.

But Maggette also did what Maggette does, plowing to the foul line for eight free throws, making them all. It was a familiar M.O. for a player who once averaged 10 foul shots a game for an entire season.

“He looks like he's caught on to what we're trying to do,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He's an intelligent player. He's been in the league a while. He knows how to fit in, and that's what he's trying to do now, see if he can absorb enough to be part of this team or not.”

The Spurs remain in the market for a big-bodied swingman who can offer Leonard an occasional breather without sacrificing size on the perimeter.

The door opened for the 6-foot-6 Maggette to perhaps seize the role when his top competition for the spot, Sam Young, was waived Thursday less than 24 hours after turning in an 0-for-6 clunker against CSKA Moscow marred by questionable shot selection.

Maggette's approach to Sunday's start, his first appearance for the Spurs this preseason, was just not to play himself out of a job.

“It's just go out there and play basketball,” Maggette said. “I'm smart enough to do that. Just go out there and be consistent as possible.”

The usual suspects played well for the Spurs against the Suns, with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each scoring in double digits in stints that bled into the third quarter.

Newcomer Jeff Ayres, competing for a bench role in Popovich's frontcourt rotation, supplied 10 points, five assists and three rebounds.

It was Maggette, walking the tightrope between having a job or not, who most felt the heat of the Kleig lights.

An accomplished NBA scorer — he averaged at least 20 points in three separate seasons, including a high of 22.2 with the L.A. Clippers in 2004-05 — Maggette admits it requires some pride-swallowing to compete for work alongside a handful of players destined for the Development League.

After a 2012-13 season in Detroit in which he averaged 5.3 points in 18 games and did not play after Dec. 15, Maggette also realizes his options were limited.

“It's been a great career, a great blessing for me as well as my family,” he said. “If I could get an opportunity here, it would be great. If not, this game has been good to me.”